Roger Meltzer column (Diario Financiero) - DLA PIPER CHILE

When DLA Piper entered into a relationship with Santiago-based Bahamondez, Alvarez & Zegers in December 2016, it provided us with the opportunity to establish a presence in one of Latin America’s most important economies through a firm with an elite reputation and history of institutional success. At the same time, it continued our pan-hemispheric expansion in the Americas and enhanced the range and depth of services we offer to our clients around the world that are doing business in the region, seeking to expand their reach or to enter the market for the first time.

Now, approximately a year and a half later, we can confidently say that not only has the relationship met our aspirations, but exceeded them. This was evidenced most recently when BAZ|DLA Piper merged earlier this year with Noguera, Larraín & Dulanto, allowing us to provide even greater depth and breadth of service to our clients doing business in Chile and abroad, while taking advantage of the complementary experience across sectors and services that the combined firm provides.

Chile is one of the most prosperous countries in Latin America, with a rising middle class and inbound and outbound investment by both global multinationals and companies in regions such as the US, Canada, Spain, Asia and, of course, LatAm, creating the need for sophisticated legal services in a range of sectors and practices. In addition, the Chilean economy continues to diversify, with finance, manufacturing, particularly in the area of food and beverage, and forestry taking a larger portion of the commercial activity, standing alongside the mainstays of natural resources and mining. As a global law firm with lawyers located in more than 40 countries around the world, including Brazil, Mexico, Colombia and Peru, the dynamic of an evolving economy and its complexities, challenges and opportunities is one in which we are experienced and extremely comfortable.

Bringing together the capabilities of our global platform through all of our offices, of which Chile is one of the most recent, also allows us the ability to continue to build and solidify the connections between our lawyers and our clients, as well as with our communities. Nurturing these relationships is one of our most important strategic drivers as a firm and one we look forward to continuing in Chile in the days and years ahead.

Roger Meltzer is the global co-chair and co-chair of the Americas for DLA Piper.